Newly Diagnosed, Very wobbly and unsteady after vet visit.

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GraceCyrus

GraceCyrus

Member Since 2020
Hello, I've been directed straight here from the FB page,

am terrified, Loki has only recently been diagnosed with diabetes. It was Monday night and an over night stay at the emergency vets.

He's been back home since Tuesday morning . He had been sedated at the vets and he is still very sleepy and lethargic.

He's hardly eaten or drank (he has had his morning insulin and I only managed to get him to have half of his antibiotic. He's on antibiotics because he has a high temperature. The vets do not know the cause of the high temp.

I've had to taken him to the vets as he hasn't hardly ate or drank since last night and I'm so extremely worried. The vet took his temp and it's still slightly high and gave him a antibiotic and a appetite shot.

He said his levels I believe we're at 67 I do not know what this means or if he said 16.7. He also said he could smell lokis ketones, I don't know what that means either.

The vet said Loki was being angry and violent when trying to take tests. (I'm being told all this in my car whilst on the phone, we are not allowed in the clinic due to covid which is making things so incredibly hard) He said there not much he can do if Loki isn't being compliant.

He's back home and he scoffed food but what is now really concerning is that he is very wobbly in his back legs struggling to walk and stand .
 
Hello and WELCOME to FDMB! You have found the best place to get Loki feeling better. If the Vet smelled the keytones on his breath this could be an emergency sigh I dont know why the vet released him fracious or not. Also anything under 70 is considered too low (I am talking human meter) s Hang in there for more advice.
While you are waiting take a look at the Health /FAQ Section of the main forum list. (I would link you but links for me arent working)
jeanne
 
What kind of insulin are you using ? Are you home testing? You can learn to hometest here. We ALL do it. If he isnt eating then insulin could take him dangerously low. I'm not trying to alarm just make you aware.
 
The fact that he ate well coming home is a really good sign!!! That, along with the insulin, is the best "medicine" for counteracting ketones.

I'm also concerned that the vet let him go with ketones in the mix :mad:. But, since he did, I will strongly encourage you to test ketones at home using urine dipsticks (available in human pharmacies with the diabetic supplies). If he continues to throw ketones, he should go to an ER vet if your own vet doesn't want to deal with him.

It's also really important to home-test blood glucose. There is a big difference between 67 (likely in the US units of mg/dL, would be on the low side) and 16.7 (likely in non-US/"world" units of mmol/L, would be a fairly high reading). Can you tell us where you are, to help figure out which it is?

Home testing BG is the best way to get a handle on your kitty's diabetes and keep him safe. If you are able to go out to get the ketone strips (with the virus situation, keep yourself safe, you can order online if necessary), you can pick up a human blood glucose meter, strips, and lancets (large gauge, 26 or 28) to get started. If you are in the US, a lot of people go to WalMart and use their Relion meters for convenience (strips are a big ongoing expense, so you want a meter with cheap strips).
 
jt and trouble (GA) said:
What kind of insulin are you using ? Are you home testing? You can learn to hometest here. We ALL do it. If he isnt eating then insulin could take him dangerously low. I'm not trying to alarm just make you aware.
Click to expand...

I am not home testing, I've no idea on what or how to do it. I will be though.

I just went on a frantic search for a lot around the superstores but found nothing and the pharmacies and drug stores aren't open, I'm going to go and there as soon as they are open which will be tomorrow as it's 19:22 here in the UK right now and we don't have any 24 hour pharmacy places or late night pharmacy places.

The insulin is Lantus (Glargine) insulin pen .
His dosage is 1 unit twice a day.

I'm completely new to diabetes so I really am trying to cram and learn as much as I can.

So he has eaten a bit more since I've been out at the shop. He is due a insulin shot in about half an hour, Im so scared he hasn't eaten enough or that it will bring him down too low.
 
I should have advised you to get the urine strips. I'm really puzzled by your vet though. You can buy the keytone strips from the same place you are getting your meter. I think you should also have some high carb foods (like the ones with gravy) to counter a hypo.
 
@Elizabeth and Bertie is in the UK, I believe.

If you're in the UK, then the BG number at the vet was probably 16.7 mmol/L. That's a fairly high number, and 1.0U of Lantus isn't a huge starting dose, so hopefully Loki will be safe with his shot tonight. I would not skip a shot if there are ketones in play.

What are you feeding him? Echoing JT's suggestion to have some high carb food around (foods with gravy are pretty much sure bets to be high carb!). That's what we use (along with honey when they get really low) to bump up the BG when we need to. Once you're testing regularly and have the ketones dealt with, we want to get him on a low-carb food for the diabetes. Here's a list of foods compiled by members (mostly Elizabeth, I think!)

UK and European Food Chart
 
Nan & Amber (GA) said:
@Elizabeth and Bertie is in the UK, I believe.

If you're in the UK, then the BG number at the vet was probably 16.7 mmol/L. That's a fairly high number, and 1.0U of Lantus isn't a huge starting dose, so hopefully Loki will be safe with his shot tonight. I would not skip a shot if there are ketones in play.

What are you feeding him? Echoing JT's suggestion to have some high carb food around (foods with gravy are pretty much sure bets to be high carb!). That's what we use (along with honey when they get really low) to bump up the BG when we need to. Once you're testing regularly and have the ketones dealt with, we want to get him on a low-carb food for the diabetes. Here's a list of foods compiled by members (mostly Elizabeth, I think!)

UK and European Food Chart
Click to expand...

We have been given some raw chicken mince from the vet but he hasn't been too interested in that so have got him some Grain free low carb wet food, specifically Lilly's Kitchen Grain free complete dinners. (Gold trays) and have got him some Applaws grain free chicken in broth.

Before this he was eating Royal cabin light weight biscuits and Sheba Sauce lover trays.
 
You do want to be careful with low carb food right now, before you are home testing. I would actually stick with higher-carb options for now, just to make sure Loki has something for the insulin to work on. That said, the best food for him right now is whatever he wants to eat, though!

How did the vet diagnose diabetes? Did they do a fructosamine test, or was it just from the in-office BG test? Has he been having any typical symptoms (ravenous hunger with weight loss, excessive drinking/peeing)?
 
Nan & Amber (GA) said:
You do want to be careful with low carb food right now, before you are home testing. I would actually stick with higher-carb options for now, just to make sure Loki has something for the insulin to work on. That said, the best food for him right now is whatever he wants to eat, though!

How did the vet diagnose diabetes? Did they do a fructosamine test, or was it just from the in-office BG test? Has he been having any typical symptoms (ravenous hunger with weight loss, excessive drinking/peeing)?
Click to expand...

He went in to the emergency vet about 22:40 on Monday night as he was all floppy and his second eyelids were all I could see.

The emergency vet took him over night and he was on fluids, they blood work and urine testing they found no issue with his kidneys so ruled out kidney problems, I'm not sure of all the tests he had done as he had a lot and his discharge sheet is quite extensive.

He was excessively drinking and weeing, his eating was very up and down and had Helost weight. wasn't doing his normal routine. He was just staying on his bed hardly moving.

I forgot to mention that Loki is about 6 and half years old.
 
OK, superficially that does sound like he's had some symptoms of diabetes. I asked because BG can be elevated from stress at the vet (especially if he's cranky, as it sounds like he was!), and occasionally a vet will diagnose a non-diabetic cat as diabetic. Would be good if they did a fructosamine test at some point (it gives an indication of the blood glucose levels over the previous couple weeks, rather than just a single snapshot), but based on the external symptoms, I think we can assume it's the correct diagnosis.

The ketones are very worrying, but I can't stress enough what a good sign it is that he's eating! Sounds like the combination of the antibiotic and the appetite stim are working wonders. The "recipe" for ketones is: not enough food, not enough insulin, and some kind of infection or other stressor. So with the antibiotic, eating, and getting some insulin into him, he's got everything going for him to kick this!
 
jt and trouble (GA) said:
I'm confused was he floppy from too much insulin?
Click to expand...

I thought this was prior to the diabetes diagnosis? guessing it was either the ketones or the infection that caused both the ketones and the high temp?

Either way, definitely an indication of a very sick kitty :(. Hoping he's gotten what he needs in the antibiotic and appetite stimulant, and the food he's eaten since then.
 
Hi and welcome Grace and Cyrus (have I got the names right?)
I'm really glad you have come over to the forum.
If Cyrus had ketones at the vet it is really important that you do a few things to stop the ketones reappearing. Ketones if untreated can escalate quickly into DKA which is much more serious.

The strips you need from the pharmacy are Ketostix. You collect a urine sample and dip the test strip into the urine and then read it exactly 15 seconds later against the colours on the side of the bottle. You don't want to see any ketones but anything above a trace needs a call to the vet.

The ways to combat ketones are
  • Give Cyrus plenty to eat.....try and get him to eat up to 1 1/2 times the number of calories he normally would. Food is like a medicine when treating ketones. Give him lots of small meals instead of one big meal. At this point if he will only eat dry food, let him have that. Getting him to eat is much more important at this stage than trying to get him onto a new food. We can do that when the ketones are at least a week behind us.. If he will eat some canned food that is great, but remember the most important thing is that he eats and eats well.
  • If you think he is nauseated.......sniffs and walks away from the food......he will need an antinausea medication such as cerenia and /or ondansetron (zofran). Ask the vet for some. Don't give an appetite stimulant if he is nauseated...the nausea needs to be treated first. You can get oral antinausea meds from the vet.
  • Make sure he is getting his insulin. That is as important as the food in combating ketones.
  • Encourage extra fluids. If he is not drinking a lot, put some warm water...about a teaspoon or two into his food if he will accept it.
  • Learn to home test the blood sugars so that you know exactly where his BG levels are up to.
  • Make sure he gets his antibiotic...this is really important too if he has an infection and ketones.

Here is a link about U.K. Info from Eliz and Bertie
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/...-vit-b12-and-other-need-to-know-stuff.137376/

And a link on home testing. Look at buying a human test meter they are much cheaper to run
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/hometesting-links-and-tips.287/

Ask lots of questions. We are happy to help.
Bron
 
Bron and Sheba (GA) said:
Hi and welcome Grace and Cyrus (have I got the names right?)
I'm really glad you have come over to the forum.
If Cyrus had ketones at the vet it is really important that you do a few things to stop the ketones reappearing. Ketones if untreated can escalate quickly into DKA which is much more serious.

The strips you need from the pharmacy are Ketostix. You collect a urine sample and dip the test strip into the urine and then read it exactly 15 seconds later against the colours on the side of the bottle. You don't want to see any ketones but anything above a trace needs a call to the vet.

The ways to combat ketones are
  • Give Cyrus plenty to eat.....try and get him to eat up to 1 1/2 times the number of calories he normally would. Food is like a medicine when treating ketones. Give him lots of small meals instead of one big meal. At this point if he will only eat dry food, let him have that. Getting him to eat is much more important at this stage than trying to get him onto a new food. We can do that when the ketones are at least a week behind us.. If he will eat some canned food that is great, but remember the most important thing is that he eats and eats well.
  • If you think he is nauseated.......sniffs and walks away from the food......he will need an antinausea medication such as cerenia and /or ondansetron (zofran). Ask the vet for some. Don't give an appetite stimulant if he is nauseated...the nausea needs to be treated first. You can get oral antinausea meds from the vet.
  • Make sure he is getting his insulin. That is as important as the food in combating ketones.
  • Encourage extra fluids. If he is not drinking a lot, put some warm water...about a teaspoon or two into his food if he will accept it.
  • Learn to home test the blood sugars so that you know exactly where his BG levels are up to.
  • Make sure he gets his antibiotic...this is really important too if he has an infection and ketones.

Here is a link about U.K. Info from Eliz and Bertie
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/...-vit-b12-and-other-need-to-know-stuff.137376/

And a link on home testing. Look at buying a human test meter they are much cheaper to run
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/hometesting-links-and-tips.287/

Ask lots of questions. We are happy to help.
Bron
Click to expand...
Hello, thank you for this. My cat is Loki, Grace Cyrus is just my name. I've managed to get a reader and kit, took his blood just now it's reading as 15.8 mmol/l
I'm in the UK for reference. Please help I do not know what that means what his level should be.
 

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Normal glucose levels in a cat are 2.8 to 6.6 (50 to 120).
A reading of 15.8 (284) is not unusual.
You need to test before every shot to see that it is safe to give the insulin dose and then if you can test during the cycle, say at +4 to +6 ( 4 to 6 hours after the insulin dose) that will tell us how low the dose is taking Loki.

it is great you have started testing! Well done!
If you could set up a spread sheet we can help you a lot. We rely on looking at the SS for dosing advice.
Here is the link. If you need any help at all with it we can help you. Just ask.
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/fdmb-spreadsheet-instructions.130337/

How is Loki?
Is he eating for you?
Have you given the insulin?
 
Bron and Sheba (GA) said:
Normal glucose levels in a cat are 2.8 to 6.6 (50 to 120).
A reading of 15.8 (284) is not unusual.
You need to test before every shot to see that it is safe to give the insulin dose and then if you can test during the cycle, say at +4 to +6 ( 4 to 6 hours after the insulin dose) that will tell us how low the dose is taking Loki.

it is great you have started testing! Well done!
If you could set up a spread sheet we can help you a lot. We rely on looking at the SS for dosing advice.
Here is the link. If you need any help at all with it we can help you. Just ask.
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/fdmb-spreadsheet-instructions.130337/

How is Loki?
Is he eating for you?
Have you given the insulin?
Click to expand...

Loki appears much better today, I woke up to find he had gotten himself up on my bed, his wobble has lessen and has been walking about a little and is now sleeping under the bed

He ate this morning about 8:05 it wasn't loads though. I then went and purchased the home testing kit at 9 am I tested him when I got home which was about 10.05 AM . So I it was an hour after his Insulin shot.

So today shall I test him again in a few hours then again before his PM shot at 20:00?

Those normal glucose levels is that for both non diabetic and diabetic cats?
 
GraceCyrus said:
Loki appears much better today
Click to expand...
Great news that Loki appears much better!

Waving to you from Surrey in UK. :bighug:

Well done for starting to test so quickly. That's fantastic! Loki is in very good hands having you as his 'mum'.

If you can, do test before each insulin shot. That is mainly to ensure that Loki's insulin is high enough for that shot.
And it's also good - if at all possible - to get at least one other test during the insulin cycle, to try to see how low his blood glucose is dropping.
Lantus is a 'depot' insulin. When you inject it some of it gets used in that same insulin cycle, but some is stored under the skin (the 'depot') and is released very slowly over time. It usually takes at least a few days for the Lantus depot to build to its optimal output for that dose of insulin, which is when you will see the full effect of that insulin dose. So, it's advisable to stick with the same dose until the depot is well established. The only reason 'not' to do that is if the blood glucose drops too low; if that happens the insulin dose should be reduced straight away.

Did you manage to get hold of some ketone test strips to test Loki's pee?
And, given that the vet did diagnose ketones, it may well be that this is something that Loki will continue to be prone to. (Some cats are more prone to developing them than others). You could consider getting a blood ketone meter. The test is done the same way as a blood glucose test, and it is very much more accurate than a urine test. Some UK folks use the 'On Call DK Dual' ketone meter, available online. The test strips for ketone meters are relatively expensive. But you don't need to be testing as often as you would test blood glucose. Those who use it really value the reassurance that it gives.

Keeping fingers and paws crossed that Loki continues to improve. :bighug:

Eliz
 
Elizabeth and Bertie said:
Great news that Loki appears much better!

Waving to you from Surrey in UK. :bighug:

Well done for starting to test so quickly. That's fantastic! Loki is in very good hands having you as his 'mum'.

If you can, do test before each insulin shot. That is mainly to ensure that Loki's insulin is high enough for that shot.
And it's also good - if at all possible - to get at least one other test during the insulin cycle, to try to see how low his blood glucose is dropping.
Lantus is a 'depot' insulin. When you inject it some of it gets used in that same insulin cycle, but some is stored under the skin (the 'depot') and is released very slowly over time. It usually takes at least a few days for the Lantus depot to build to its optimal output for that dose of insulin, which is when you will see the full effect of that insulin dose. So, it's advisable to stick with the same dose until the depot is well established. The only reason 'not' to do that is if the blood glucose drops too low; if that happens the insulin dose should be reduced straight away.

Did you manage to get hold of some ketone test strips to test Loki's pee?
And, given that the vet did diagnose ketones, it may well be that this is something that Loki will continue to be prone to. (Some cats are more prone to developing them than others). You could consider getting a blood ketone meter. The test is done the same way as a blood glucose test, and it is very much more accurate than a urine test. Some UK folks use the 'On Call DK Dual' ketone meter, available online. The test strips for ketone meters are relatively expensive. But you don't need to be testing as often as you would test blood glucose. Those who use it really value the reassurance that it gives.

Keeping fingers and paws crossed that Loki continues to improve. :bighug:

Eliz
Click to expand...
This is so very helpful thank you.

Yes, infact I just 10 minutes ago picked up the ketone sticks from the vet and as if by magic Loki used his litter box, I was given some litter beads to put in his box to make collecting his pee easy.
His ketones on the stick are matched the light pink scale which says traces. I did a second strip just for safety and it was the same result for the ketones.
 

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Bron and Sheba (GA) said:
Keep offering him food as he needs to eat as much as possible.
Were you able to get some antinausea medication?
Great you were able to test for ketones. I would test for them twice a day while you are getting traces. keep up the good work!:)
Click to expand...

I have been bringing his bowl to him as he seems to eat more when we do that. No we haven't been given any antinausea . He hasn't peed again yet but will definitely test as soon as he has visited the toilet.

I've not been able to test his BG last night or this morning either. I'm struggling to get a place on his ear or getting enough blood. I use a small torch to find a vein but I'm missing it and now he has red marks on his ears, I'm worried I've damaged his poor little ears.
 
GraceCyrus said:
I have been bringing his bowl to him as he seems to eat more when we do that. No we haven't been given any antinausea . He hasn't peed again yet but will definitely test as soon as he has visited the toilet.

I've not been able to test his BG last night or this morning either. I'm struggling to get a place on his ear or getting enough blood. I use a small torch to find a vein but I'm missing it and now he has red marks on his ears, I'm worried I've damaged his poor little ears.
Click to expand...
You don’t need the vein. You need the spot between the vein and the edge of the ear.
Are you warming the ear with a sock with rice in it? and milking the ear to get the blood into the area?
You won’t damage the ears.
What gauge are the lancets you are using?
26 or 28 gauge are best
 
Bron and Sheba (GA) said:
You don’t need the vein. You need the spot between the vein and the edge of the ear.
Are you warming the ear with a sock with rice in it? and milking the ear to get the blood into the area?
You won’t damage the ears.
What gauge are the lancets you are using?
26 or 28 gauge are best
Click to expand...

Ok great I will try that spot,I'm not warming but I definitely will do. I will find out the gauge momentarily, I'm also looking at b12 supplements for him but I'm unable to find any Zobaline in the UK and I want the best for him, Do you think it would be worth importing it? I'm not fussed about the price at the moment I just want him better.
 
Use an old sock and put some rice in it. Warm in the microwave and test to see it is Not too hot.
You can milk the ear before or after you prick it.

I bought Zobaline from life link.com I think it is a company in Europe. I live in Australia and they post here.. There are other ones around but I likes that one best. The zolaline is the methyl B 12 that is needed. There are other B 12 around but it must be the methyl B 12 to be effective.
.
 
Bron and Sheba (GA) said:
Use an old sock and put some rice in it. Warm in the microwave and test to see it is Not too hot.
You can milk the ear before or after you prick it.

I bought Zobaline from life link.com I think it is a company in Europe. I live in Australia and they post here.. There are other ones around but I likes that one best. The zolaline is the methyl B 12 that is needed. There are other B 12 around but it must be the methyl B 12 to be effective.
.
Click to expand...

I will buy some from the site you mentioned. Thank you.
The Lancet gauge is 0.3mm
Thank you so much for your advice I just took a successful sample of blood he is reading at 11.2 mmol/L (UK units) am I right in thinking I have to multiply that by 18 to help the US folk with my numbers? I believe that would make it 201.7
 
GraceCyrus said:
I will buy some from the site you mentioned. Thank you.
The Lancet gauge is 0.3mm
Thank you so much for your advice I just took a successful sample of blood he is reading at 11.2 mmol/L (UK units) am I right in thinking I have to multiply that by 18 to help the US folk with my numbers? I believe that would make it 201.7
Click to expand...
Well done! Success!
Yes you multiply by 18 and take it to the nearest while number. So 11.2 is 202.
Where about in the cycle was the 202?
 
If you set up a spreadsheet we can help you so much more. I will post the link below. If you have any trouble just ask for help and someone will set it up for you. You need to choose the world Spreadsheet and put your numbers in that one. It will automatically transfer the numbers to the US sheet for us to see it.
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/fdmb-spreadsheet-instructions.130337/

GraceCyrus said:
Thank you, this is 4 hours after his morning insulin.
Click to expand...
That’s not too bad. Once you can get the SS set up you will be able to see what is happening so much better. It is colour coded and we rely on the SS for all our dosing advice.
Have a look at other people’s SS to see what I mean
They are in the signature at the bottom of people’s posts.

Here is another good link
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/new-how-you-can-help-us-help-you.216696/

Keep feeding him as much as he will eat.
 
Bron and Sheba (GA) said:
If you set up a spreadsheet we can help you so much more. I will post the link below. If you have any trouble just ask for help and someone will set it up for you. You need to choose the world Spreadsheet and put your numbers in that one. It will automatically transfer the numbers to the US sheet for us to see it.
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/fdmb-spreadsheet-instructions.130337/


That’s not too bad. Once you can get the SS set up you will be able to see what is happening so much better. It is colour coded and we rely on the SS for all our dosing advice.
Have a look at other people’s SS to see what I mean
They are in the signature at the bottom of people’s posts.

Here is another good link
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/new-how-you-can-help-us-help-you.216696/

Keep feeding him as much as he will eat.
Click to expand...
Thank you.
I'm trying to search for BG levels information but Im having troubles with my search. Do we know the dangerous low/high and safe/ideal levels for a diabetic cat
 
GraceCyrus said:
Thank you.
I'm trying to search for BG levels information but Im having troubles with my search. Do we know the dangerous low/high and safe/ideal levels for a diabetic cat
Click to expand...
We take reductions in dose at 2.8 (50) for the tight regulation method and 5 (90) or the start low go slow method. If you drop under those numbers you take action by giving some high carb food to bring the numbers up again. Make sure you have high carb food and honey in the house always.
It would be worth your while looking at both the Dosing methods once things settle down but at the moment it is really important that Loki gets enough insulin to keep the ketones at bay.
If you see the numbers dropping fast you can feed some ordinary low carb food and bring the numbers up a bit. Always test again if you find a low number to see it isn’t dropping further.

We say here is is better to be high for a day then low for a minute......that is because low numbers can kill, but high numbers take time to do any damage. We don’t want to see cats in high numbers but they are not dangerous like low numbers.
Once you get the SS set you will see that it is colour coded and your numbers will show colours. The best numbers to be in are the higher greens and lower blue.

It is always a good idea to test for ketones if you have high numbers even if your cats does not have a history of ketones

The pancreas will heal best if it is in normal numbers but it takes time for a cat to get used to insulin and to become regulated. So you will see most cats BG goes up and down during the day and night.

Some cats have numbers up in the 20s and 30s and while this is not good, that is ok for a short time.
Its great to be asking questions and we encourage everyone to do that.

For the next week or two while there are ketones in the picture you need to make sure you are getting enough food into Loki to prevent ketones reforming, testing the BGs so that we can see if he is on the correct dose of insulin and get the SS set up and enter the BGdata, now that you have been successful with the testing!
 
Elizabeth and Bertie said:
Great news that Loki appears much better!

Waving to you from Surrey in UK. :bighug:

Well done for starting to test so quickly. That's fantastic! Loki is in very good hands having you as his 'mum'.

If you can, do test before each insulin shot. That is mainly to ensure that Loki's insulin is high enough for that shot.
And it's also good - if at all possible - to get at least one other test during the insulin cycle, to try to see how low his blood glucose is dropping.
Lantus is a 'depot' insulin. When you inject it some of it gets used in that same insulin cycle, but some is stored under the skin (the 'depot') and is released very slowly over time. It usually takes at least a few days for the Lantus depot to build to its optimal output for that dose of insulin, which is when you will see the full effect of that insulin dose. So, it's advisable to stick with the same dose until the depot is well established. The only reason 'not' to do that is if the blood glucose drops too low; if that happens the insulin dose should be reduced straight away.

Did you manage to get hold of some ketone test strips to test Loki's pee?
And, given that the vet did diagnose ketones, it may well be that this is something that Loki will continue to be prone to. (Some cats are more prone to developing them than others). You could consider getting a blood ketone meter. The test is done the same way as a blood glucose test, and it is very much more accurate than a urine test. Some UK folks use the 'On Call DK Dual' ketone meter, available online. The test strips for ketone meters are relatively expensive. But you don't need to be testing as often as you would test blood glucose. Those who use it really value the reassurance that it gives.

Keeping fingers and paws crossed that Loki continues to improve. :bighug:

Eliz
Click to expand...
Thank you for this, I have purchased the ketone meter you mentioned so I can get a more accurate reading than from the urine strips, especially that he's not currently peeing a lot
 
Bron and Sheba (GA) said:
We take reductions in dose at 2.8 (50) for the tight regulation method and 5 (90) or the start low go slow method. If you drop under those numbers you take action by giving some high carb food to bring the numbers up again. Make sure you have high carb food and honey in the house always.
It would be worth your while looking at both the Dosing methods once things settle down but at the moment it is really important that Loki gets enough insulin to keep the ketones at bay.
If you see the numbers dropping fast you can feed some ordinary low carb food and bring the numbers up a bit. Always test again if you find a low number to see it isn’t dropping further.

We say here is is better to be high for a day then low for a minute......that is because low numbers can kill, but high numbers take time to do any damage. We don’t want to see cats in high numbers but they are not dangerous like low numbers.
Once you get the SS set you will see that it is colour coded and your numbers will show colours. The best numbers to be in are the higher greens and lower blue.

It is always a good idea to test for ketones if you have high numbers even if your cats does not have a history of ketones

The pancreas will heal best if it is in normal numbers but it takes time for a cat to get used to insulin and to become regulated. So you will see most cats BG goes up and down during the day and night.

Some cats have numbers up in the 20s and 30s and while this is not good, that is ok for a short time.
Its great to be asking questions and we encourage everyone to do that.

For the next week or two while there are ketones in the picture you need to make sure you are getting enough food into Loki to prevent ketones reforming, testing the BGs so that we can see if he is on the correct dose of insulin and get the SS set up and enter the BGdata, now that you have been successful with the testing!
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Thank you so much for taking the time to reply so extensively, its Unbelievably helpful, more than the vets have been with information.
 
GraceCyrus said:
Do you have any tips or advice on how to entice or encourage more eating? I've read on here sprinkling fortiflora works well as apparently it's what dreamies/temptations are coated in. I have that ordered already but hoping for some other info that will have him eat and drink more.
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I use fortiflora for my Zoe. When she turns up her nose I sprinkle just a tiny bit on and it gets her to eating.

Hey GOOD LUCK with the drinking part. I will be watching this thread to get tips on drinking. I live in the LOW desert. Zoe is an innie outtie kitty and she hardly ever touches her water dish. She can be outside all day long in 120 degrees and doesnt touch her water.:rolleyes:

When My Waldo (avatar kitty) was sick I resorted to sprinkling Parmesan cheese on his food BUT that cheese is very salty. I was desperate to get him to eat so I used it and that worked for a time.

I know others will give tips so hang in there;):coffee:
 
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